FOVEOSTROMA SALVADORAE SP. NOV., FROM PAKISTAN
ABSTRACT:
A new species Foveostroma salvadorae on Salvadora oleoides is described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT RHIZOBIAL STRAINS ON THEGROWTH AND NITROGEN UPTAKE IN ACACIAS UNDER SALINE SOIL
ABSTRACT:
A field trial was conducted at NIA experimental farm, Tandojam, Pakistan to study the effect of different Rhizobial strains on the survival and growth of two Australian Acacias viz., Acacia ampliceps and Acacia stenophylla under saline condition. Inoculation of tree seedlings improved survival and growth of both Acacia species as compared to uninoculated ones. A. stenophylla showed higher survival as compared to A. ampliceps, whereas the over all performance of A. ampliceps was much better. A. ampliceps inoculated with rhizobial strain no. 63/1 showed greater plant height, stem diameter and plant canopy followed by 403/1 and 399/1. Performance of tree seedlings with the application of 100 mg N/kg of soil alone were better as compared to two strains of Rhizobia. A. stenophylla, inoculated with strain no. 403/1 proved better for its symbiotic partner followed by 63/1. The uptake of nitrogen by plant also increased in inoculated plants but the values for N-content in seedlings without N application were higher.

POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF SILENE L. (CARYOPHYLLACEAE) FROM TURKEY
ABSTRACT:
Morphology of pollen grains of 13 species (3 of which are endemics in Turkey) belonging to nine sections of the genus Silene L., (Caryophyllaceae), collected from Northwest Anatolia in Turkey, was investigated using light, scanning electron (SEM) and projectina screen scale microscopy. The pollen grains were pantoporate, spheroidal and semitectate with perforations, spinulose exine. S. rhynchocarpa Boiss., with highest number and S. otites (L.) Wibel with lowest number of pores have the right taxonomical positions. The taxonomical position of S. compacta Fischer and S. dichotoma Ehrh. subsp. sibthorpiana (Reichb) Reich., which have flowers forming heads and are monochasial is disputed because they have lower pore number in relation to the other taxa, although they have other phylogenetically advanced characteristics.

ISOENZYMATIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ERYNGIUM ELEGANS CHAM. ET SCHLECHT POPULATIONS OF TUCUMÁN PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
ABSTRACT:
The genus Eryngium has about 230 species distributed in temperate and subtropical zones of Europe and America. In South America the genus is presented in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. In the northwest of Argentina and specially in Tucumán province, Eryngium elegans Cham. et Schlecht is one of the aggressive weed that affects pasture areas as well as economically important crops like sugarcane. E. elegans is a diploid species with regular meiosis and fertile seeds so that it can easily colonize different ecological areas. The objective of this work was to identify the different populations through the use of isoenzyme patterns of esterases and peroxidases and the application of cluster analysis. Discontinuous vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was utilized and Jaccard' Similarity Coefficients was used for making the dendrogram. Profiles of peroxidases, showed a characteristic and distinct pattern in all samples, which explains in part, the phenotypic variation found in the population. This was confirmed by the low value of similarity index showed by the dendrogram. In esterases, a common wide band, of different colour intensity was observed according to the locality. Through the difference in the pattern of peroxidases it was thus possible to determine intraspecific variations in the populations which can be used for characterization of samples.

IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MULTIPLICATION OF VIRUS-FREE 'SPUNTA' POTATO
ABSTRACT:
In vitro shoots of Solanum tuberosum cv 'Spunta' were subcultured on liquid MS media containing 0.0, 0.5

UTILIZING HETEROLOGOUS PROMOTERS TO EXPRESS GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN FROM JELLYFISH IN TOBACCO CHLOROPLASTS
ABSTRACT:
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish (Aequorea victoria) has become a vital reporter not only to identify and screen transformed organisms including bacteria, animals and plants but also to study gene expression. A modified form of the green fluorescent protein was expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum var. Samsun) chloroplasts using both the bacterial as well as chloroplast specific promoters. A number of species-specific promoters have been used to express foreign DNA in chloroplasts, but there is no such report where DNA has been expressed in chloroplasts from bacterial promoters. This is the first report of stable expression of reporter gene (gfp) in chloroplasts using bacterial promoter. The GFP fluorescence was detected only in transformants where the trc promoter used to regulate gfp. In transformants where gfp was under the control of the chloroplast rrn promoter, fluorescence was comparable to controls without an introduced gfp gene. The transformed seedlings gave a green fluorescence after illumination with long-wave UV light. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of leaf extracts from the transformed plants confirmed the presence of GFP. Analysis of high expressing lines was carried out using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy. Gfp was found as a versatile and sensitive reporter and can be used to study promoters. The bacterial trc promoter appeared to be stronger than the chloroplast rrn promoter in E. coli as well as in chloroplasts of tobacco.

STRUCTURE AND REPRODUCTION OF SCINAIA MONILIFORMIS PAKISTANENSIS VAR. NOV. (NEMALIALES, RHODOPHYTA)
ABSTRACT:
A new taxon Scinaia moniliformis J. Agardh var. pakistanensis Afaq-Husain et Shameel is described. The vegetative, anatomical and reproductive structures of the Pakistani populations of this red alga have been investigated in detail. The new variety showed distinctive characters as thalli up to 22.5 cm long; deeply constricted into 4-26 mm long ´ 2.0-5.5 mm broad segments; branching di- to subdi-chotomous, from every segment in proximal and at 2-5 segment distances in the distal part of plants; utricles 30-38 mm long ´ 16-21 mm broad; hypodermal cells 5-15 mm broad; carpogonia conical distally, up to 10´4.5 mm; cystocarps up to 320 mm broad. These specimens were found to differ from S. moniliformis growing in Australia and India and, therefore, given the status of a new variety.

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM (HAB) ORGANISMS OF THE NORTH ARABIAN SEA BORDERING PAKISTAN - I. GONYAULAX DIESING
ABSTRACT:
The taxonomy and distribution along with environmental parameters of seven species of the genus Gonyaulax Diesing (Harmful Algal Bloom organisms) including four new records from the Northeastern Arabian Sea have been described from Korangi creek, Manora channel and continental shelf of Pakistan.

SALT MARSHES AND SALT DESERTS OF S.W. IRAN
ABSTRACT:
Using the Braun-Blanquet approach

COMBINING ABILITY ESTIMATES IN F2 AND F3 ENERATIONS FOR EARLY MATURITY AND AGRONOMIC TRAITS IN PEANUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)
ABSTRACT:
Development of early maturing and high yielding cultivars of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major objective of groundnut breeding programme. To select the best combining parents, three high yielding virginia type cultivars No. 334, Banki and NC-9 were crossed with four early spanish type lines ICGSE-4, ICGSE-130, ICGSE-147 and Chico in a factorial mating design. F2 and F3 generations were evaluated in the field to determine the combining ability of the parents for maturity and other agronomic traits. General combining ability (GCA) estimates were significant for all traits except maturity index in F2 and F3 generations and seeds per 50 pods in F3. Specific combining ability (SCA) estimates were non-significant for all the traits except oil contents in F 2 and pod length in F3 generations. The magnitude of GCA was much greater than SCA for all traits in both the generations indicating that additive genetic variance (GCA) was more important than nonadditive genetic variance (SCA). Among male parents ICGSE-147 gave highest GCA for 20 pod length, seeds per 50 pods while Chico gave best GCA for maturity index. Among adapted female parents NO. 334 gave best GCA for seeds per 50 pod and maturity index while NC-9 gave best GCA for 100 seed weight.

COMPARTMENTATION OF Na+ AND Cl- IONS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH DURING PLANT DEVELOPMENT
ABSTRACT:
Pattern of distribution of Na+ and Cl- ions were examined in four moderately salt-tolerant Sorghum bicolor accessions (Double TX, Giza 114, INRA 353 and INRA 133) grown in salinized sand-culture. Analyses for ion content were made on each leaf, pseudostems and roots. Ion content of leaves of different ages differed but not consistently among accessions. Double TX and Giza 114 had the lowest Na+ and Cl- concentration in young leaves and these increased with leaf age. In INRA 353 leaf Na+ and Cl- decreased in older leaves. The Na+ content of pseudostems of Double TX and Giza 114 were similar to those in leaves but in INRA 133 and INRA 353 Na+ ions were markedly higher than in leaves and considerably higher than in Double TX and Giza 114. Pseudostems contained the highest concentrations of Cl- and were similar in the four accessions. Root Cl- concentrations were similar to those in leaves in the four accessions. In terms of relative grain yield, INRA 133 and INRA 353 were found superior accessions than Double TX and Giza 114, and therefore, their potential may be exploited through selection and breeding of plants to effect further improvement in salinity tolerance in sorghum.

DETERMINATION OF WEED COMMUNITIES INWHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) FIELDS OF DISTRICT SUKKUR
ABSTRACT:
A survey of weed communities was carried out in wheat fields of district Sukkur during 1999-2000. Forty-five weed species belonging to 16 angiospermic families are reported from the study area. Five weed communities viz:1) Lathyrus-Fumaria-Melilotus in Bhit of Noor Shah